By Alvin Alexander. Last updated: May 5, 2024
I have often thought that the story of The Odyssey is about temptation and maybe even addiction. And just now I saw this story from the Daily Stoic titled, Discipline Now, Freedom Later, and it offers an interesting take on self-discipline that starts like this:
“At a critical moment in The Odyssey, Odysseus tied himself to the mast of his ship because he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist steering the ship toward the beautiful sound of the Sirens. In temporarily giving up his freedom, Odysseus became the first person ever to hear the Sirens without fatally crashing into the rocks surrounding the island where they lived.”
The story goes on with another quote: “The labor will pass, the rewards will last.”
